JLL targets ‘net-zero’ buildings by 2030

Property consultancy JLL has signed the World Green Building Council's (WGBC) net-zero carbon buildings commitment, committing it to bring operational carbon emissions to zero by 2030.


JLL targets ‘net-zero’ buildings by 2030

23 businesses

The pledge will cover all of its own UK-based workplaces.

However, by signing the commitment, JLL has also pledged to “use its full influence to spearhead the wider adoption of net-zero carbon buildings” – including the 4,500 buildings managed by its UK-based clients.

In order to achieve this ambition, JLL will embed education around net-zero building in all employee training, with immediate effect, and also offer such training to its clients and suppliers.

It will additionally engage more with the industry and with policymakers, through publications, events and meetings which champion the sharing of thought leadership and best-practice case studies.

The firm hopes that these moves will support at least 10 of its major clients to develop a net-zero carbon roadmap for their own portfolios within the next 24 months. Clients already receiving advice include Hammerson and Great Portland Estates. 

“When it comes to making property more sustainable in the commercial market, there are just two refurbishment cycles left before the Government’s net-zero deadline in 2050,” JLL’s head of sustainability, UK, Sophie Walker said.

“Forward-thinking landlords and tenants will make the move to operate at net zero carbon now, not play catch-up in years to come.  We want to help educate all our clients to adopt that mindset.”

Time for action

JLL’s new commitments come less than two weeks before the start of World Green Buildings Week – WGBC’s flagship annual event aimed at spurring progress on decarbonisation and other environmental and social ambitions across the built environment sector.

The event is due to begin on 24 September.

With the addition of JLL, WGBC now has 23 businesses, 23 cities and six states signed up to its net-zero buildings commitment.

The commitment reflects the organisation’s three key 2030 climate goals: alignment with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C trajectory; ensuring all buildings are net-zero emissions in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) research and reducing the construction sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 84 gigatonnes.

In order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the building and construction industry, which accounts for around one-third of global emissions, will need to play a crucial role in keeping the global temperature at sustainable levels. Energy consumption levels in the sector are set to be exacerbated in the next 35 years, with the global building stock expected to double to 415 billion square metres.

Sarah George

Comments (1)

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